Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service

We aim to make your stay as comfortable as possible.This booklet provides you information about your stay, our hospital and the services provided. By working together with the health care team, you can help make your hospital stay safe.

Welcometo Caloundra Health Service

Caloundra Health ServiceWest Terrace, Caloundra QLD 4551Ph: 07 5436 8500W: health.qld.gov.au/sunshinecoast

Call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84)Qualified staff will give you confidential health advice and assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Visiting hours:General ward visiting hours are between 11.00am to 12.30pm and 2.30pm to 8.00pm. Dove Palliative Care hours are 24 hours. Rehabilitation Assessment Unit (RAU) visiting hours are between therapy sessions. Please check with the unit daily.

Visiting hours may vary between wards. Set visiting hours allow for rest and adequate treatment of patients. We encourage visitors to be sensitive to the needs of the patient they are visiting and other patients and staff in the ward or unit.

Facilities available

• Televisions: a privately managed television hire service is available in the general ward. Nursing staff or a ward administration officer can help with television connection.

• Snacks: there are two vending machines in the hospital for refreshments. These are located near the main entrance of the hospital and near the emergency waiting area.

• Kiosk: Mary Rose Cafe is located on the ground floor near to the main entrance to the hospital. The cafe supplies food and drink during normal business hours.

• Banking: there is a multi-card automatic teller machine (ATM) located in the main entrance of the hospital.

MealsThe hospital provides a choice of meals and will supply special diets where this is part of your medical care, or cultural or religious needs. A diet assistant will speak with you regarding your meal choices.

DischargeWe believe it is important to ensure all patients participate in planning their care in hospital and preparing to return home.

When you are admitted to hospital the staff will talk to you about the expected date of discharge and will work with you and your family/carers to ensure that everything is in place for you to safely return home or to an alternate place of care.

About discharge from hospitalThe aim of planning your discharge is to achieve your release from hospital as soon as you are well enough. Your active involvement in achieving this aim will be through your:

• participation in decisions about your healthcare • acceptance of responsibility for your behaviour and the

decisions made • arranging transport home (preferably by 10.00am), with

a relative or friend • supplying the name and contact details of your G.P. • authorising the release of discharge information to your

G.P. by signing the discharge summary prior to leaving. Standard 4Medication Safety

Standard 3Preventing and controlling associated infections

Standard 11Service Delivery

© State of Queensland (Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service) 2016 http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/3.0/au/deed.en

Standard 6Clinical Handover

Standard 10Preventing falls and harm from falls

Standard 2Partnering with Consumers

Standard 1Governance for Safety and Quality in a Health Organisation

Standard 12Provision of Care

Room allocationOur hospital has single and shared rooms which accommodate both public and private patients. Rooms are allocated on clinical need. Very ill or infectious patients always have priority to single rooms. Your bed allocation may change during your stay. Although you may be insured as a private patient, the hospital cannot guarantee single rooms.

Ryan’s RuleAll patients, families and carers can use Ryan’s Rule to get help when they are concerned about a patient in hospital who is getting worse, not doing as well as expected, or not improving. For more information, speak with your nurse or contact 13 Health (13 43 25 84).

Australian Charter of Healthcare RightsThe Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights describes the rights of patients and other people using the Australian health system. These rights ensure high quality and safe patient care.

www.safetyandquality.gov.au

ValuablesPlease do not bring large amounts of money, jewellery or other valuables into hospital. While every care is taken, the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service takes no responsibility for any loss or damage to items belonging to patients or their families or visitors.

Do you identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person?This is important! Ensure you tell staff at registration so that you can be informed of the services and cultural support available as an inpatient.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Officers If you are Aboriginal or of Torres Strait Islander origin you can ask to speak with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Officer who can provide support to you and your family. If you would like to access this service, or find out more about this service, please ask a nurse.

Get involvedJoin our consumer engagement register now to improve our healthcare. Ask a nurse or see the following webpage: www.health.qld.gov.au/sunshinecoast/html/CaCE-main.asp

Your care teamDoctors

When admitted to hospital, you will always be under the care of a specific specialist doctor, or consultant. This doctor makes speciality care decisions with you about your medical needs. Each consultant leads a team of other doctors, including a registrar and a resident. This team is responsible for ensuring your healthcare is coordinated during your stay. They may refer you to other teams; anaesthetists, radiologists, pathologists and other physicians, but your care will remain centrally coordinated by your consultant and their team.

Nursing Each area of the hospital has nursing staff, skilled in the delivery of care for that service area. Each nursing team is managed by a nurse unit manager or NUM. Nursing staff are responsible for delivering your day-to-day care, such as medications, hygiene and wound management. You are welcome to ask questions about your care to any of the nurses.

Allied healthThe allied health team includes:• physiotherapists• occupational therapists• dietitians

They work together to ensure your needs are met to assist you in leaving hospital with confidence after your admission. This may include movement and mechanics, nutrition, prosthesis, home and lifestyle modification and social needs.

Other staff • Pathologists: collect blood samples • Radiographers: take medical images such as x-rays,

MRI or CT scans • Pharmacists: ensure you receive the correct medicine• Cleaning staff: keep our wards clean and free from infection• Orderlies: ensure people and equipment are in the right place

at the right time • Catering team: ensure you don’t go hungry• Our building team: keep the entire hospital in working order.• Operational Safety team: protective services team

How are we doing?The Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service is committed to providing exceptional patient care. We would love to hear your feedback about your experience with us. Your compliment, complaint and suggestions will assist us to identify what things we are doing well and what we need to improve. Your feedback will help us to provide the best possible care and service to our patients and families.

Submitting your feedback • talk to any staff member within the hospital• talk to a senior manager within the hospital• complete a compliment or complaint feedback form,

ask a staff member for a form

If you have concerns a Patient Liaison Officer can help you. Contact on 5470 5085 and 5470 6206.

Office of the Health OmbudsmanIf you submit feedback and are unhappy with the way your concern was handled you can contact the Office of the Health Ombudsman. They offer a free, impartial and independent service if you have a complaint about a health service provided to you, a family member of someone in your care.

Telephone: 133 646 (131 OHO)Online: www.oho.qld.gov.auEmail: complaints@oho.qld.gov.au

Ward routine 7.00am: nursing handover from night shift to day shift, blood taking or physiotherapy also commence. 7.30am: doctors begin seeing patients in order of clinical need.

Throughout the morning, nurses will attend the ward rounds conducted by doctors for their patients, dispense medications, assist you with showering or hygiene needs and attend any wound dressings, or speciality care you may require.

Clinical handoverMany people are involved in your care, and each one has the responsibility to do the right thing by you. It is vital they share important information about you when changing shift, this is called ‘clinical handover’, or the transfer of care from one person to another. Please get involved, and ask questions if you don’t understand what any of your care team are saying.

Medication Have you ever wondered why so many people ask you the same questions, particularly your name, date of birth and allergies? We aim to ensure the right patient receives the right procedure at the right time. By asking questions it helps us to minimise mistakes when administering medication, performing procedures or delivering other aspects of your care.

Multicultural health informationQueensland Health is committed to improving and maintaining the health and wellbeing of multicultural communities, families and individuals in Queensland. For more information go to: https://www.health.qld.gov.au/multicultural/public/for_the_public.asp

Making your stay safeChannel 104• keep yourself safe during your stay in hospital• wear the orange hospital socks to prevent falls• wear your hospital stockings to prevent blood clots• try to keep mobile to prevent pressure ulcers• wash your hands to prevent infection• it’s ok to ask staff to wash their hands• tell us if you have an allergy.

If you see any suspicious activity please report it to a staff member immediately.

Using private health coverAs an inpatient within our Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service facilities you can elect to use your private health insurance for your inpatient hospital stay. By using your private health insurance you help us to:

• purchase new equipment• improve and maintain our facilities• improve and expand patient services• increase the number of hospital beds• increase resources.

You will receive the best possible care by our staff within our hospital and you may also be entitled to receive the following benefits:

• Guarantee of no out-of-pocket expenses. All patients are required to pay for scripted discharge medications. Any individual concessions will apply.

• Discounted excess or co-payment. This is applicable to your hospital admission at this facility in accordance with your current private health insurance policy. If your excess exceeds the value of the accommodation for your stay, the remaining excess may still be applicable if you admit to another facility within the excess period.

Please ask to speak to a patient options liaison officer.

Falls informationUnfamiliar areas and feeling unwell can increase your risk of having a fall. Please ring your bell for assistance and use any mobility aids the staff have provided. Please wear well fitting shoes or use the recommended non-slip socks. Your skin is your body’s largest organ. Illness and lack of mobility means you are at higher risk of your skin breaking down. Please look after your skin and follow guidance to protect your skin.

Patient election formThis form helps the hospital identify if you are covered by Medicare, Department of Veteran Affairs, or if you have a concession card or private health.

Your careInfection ControlProtect yourself from infection by:

• Remind staff to do hand hygiene (wash hands or use the alcohol hand rub) before they touch you or do any procedures on you

• Clean your hands after using the toilet and before eating. If you can’t get out of bed, ask a staff member for a hand wipe/towelette

• If you have a “drip” in, please tell staff if the site is hot, red or painful, or if the dressing is coming off

• Don’t share your belongings. We all have different bugs and you don’t need to “adopt” anyone else’s —they can be harmful to you

• Remind your visitors to use the hand hygiene facilities when they come into the ward to visit you.

• speech therapists• social workers • allied health assisstants.

SmokingFor the health of staff, patients and visitors, smoking is prohibited within the grounds and inside all facilities of the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, including buildings and motor vehicles. Penalties apply.

Interpreters The nursing staff will arrange interpreter services on request as clinical need arises. If you or your relatives have difficulty understanding English, please ask for assistance.

Auxiliary—volunteersOur hospital patients, staff and visitors appreciate the dedicated efforts of our volunteers. They help with a wide variety of support services and wear identification badges.

The Caloundra Health Service Auxiliary was founded in 1980 and is an incorporated body of dedicated community members who actively fundraise to provide patient facilities.

Safety and respectEach staff member, patient and visitor has the right to be safe and to be treated with respect. Your responsibilities as a patient are to use respectful language and behaviour and to ensure that your family and visitors act accordingly. Staff are required to report all incidents of verbal, physical or psychological abuse; threats or intimidating behaviour; racial remarks or any form of harassment. The protective services team is available to help patients, staff and visitors in providing a safe environment to optimise patient care.

Ministers of religion/hospital chapelThis hospital is non-denominational. Ministers of any denomination are at liberty to visit to provide spiritual support, help or guidance during your stay. A minister of your church will be asked to visit only if you so request. Authorised pastoral care associates and church volunteers visit regularly.